A study of the association of southeast Asian nations as network governance

Abstract

The research aims to study the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a network governance (NG) and establish an alternative framework to understand its policymaking and performance taking into account its norms and principles (underpinnings). Mainstream international relations (IR) and western theories have partly downplayed these underpinnings and attributed ASEAN's failure to them. These theories, driven by the EU as a model for regional integration, often neglect the rationale for ASEAN's light institutionalisation by positioning institutional evolution as a solution to ASEAN's problems. The thesis, therefore, attempts to demystify the western theorisation of ASEAN. It shows that ASEAN is a functioning, legitimate and hybrid intergovernmental organisation with NG at the heart of its policymaking and tiered structures at the front with a different trajectory toward regional integration. Qualitative analysis was undertaken through structured interviews and surveys to examine one case study from each of the three ASEAN communities. Policy network theories were used for the analysis and evaluation. A significant finding of the thesis is that ASEAN operates as a NG at its centre when it mainly involves the region's strategic, political and security interests. The primary purposes are to safeguard ASEAN's centrality, regional resilience and the role of ASEAN as an honest broker in regional and international affairs. Similarly, in the economic and socio cultural communities, the objectives extend beyond wealth creation and meeting society's needs respectively to protect the primary purposes and foster mutual interdependence among member states. They enable ASEAN's relevance as a pivot in the Asia Pacific to the major powers and neighbouring countries. Regarding the role of non-state actors (NSAs) in regional integration, it is more prominent in the economic and social cultural communities and less in the political security community, where the state actors' position is dominant. Despite this, NSAs can still play a role in specific political and security areas. However, the limited role accorded to NSAs by ASEAN impedes their potential contribution to regional integration. There are prospects for dynamic policy outcomes if NSAs participate more, provided there is a convergence in the agendas and a narrowing of mutual distrust between state and non-state actors. The thesis concludes that the hybrid nature, underpinnings (norms and principles) and patterned relations among all actors must be considered when assessing ASEAN's policymaking for a more nuanced and objective evaluation of the Association's performance.